A Good Man
by AthenaScarlet
Summary: On their return from Neverland, Captain Hook gives Emma a place to lay her hear and a request from his heart.


**This was originally published on the CS Writers Network tumblr in September in response to a fanfic challenge. The idea came from blowingwinds and was edited by this-too-too-sullied-flesh.**

Emma brushed a stray lock of hair off of Henry's forehead and pulled the covers tighter over his body. This was the third time she had checked in on him as he slept, but she could not help herself; not after the events of the past few weeks in Neverland.

She looked out the windows of the captain's quarters and could only see clouds as the ship continued its journey through the sky back to Storybrooke. She never would have believed any of this was possible after Henry had been taken, but here she was on a pirate ship leaving Neverland with her son.

Of course, it wasn't just any pirate ship. The captain had really surprised Emma during their trip, starting with the fact that it was Hook who volunteered his ship for the journey in the first place, and it was Hook who continued to encourage her during their adventure. Hell, it was Hook who believed in her from the moment they set foot on that stupid island while the others only questioned what they were doing to get Henry back.

Emma took a deep breath, the smell of fresh wood and sea salt filling her senses despite the fact that the ship was centuries old and nowhere near water. She thought about what it must be like for Hook to have that sensation every time he was in these quarters and easily understood why he had such a love for his ship. It made her appreciate even more the sacrifices he had made to get her son back.

The thought of it became a bit overwhelming. Whether he felt anything for her before they left Storybrooke was debatable, but there was no denying the feelings he had for her now. His confession in the cave was still so clear in her head. She couldn't think of anyone who had ever said anything like that to her — yet it was said by someone she had only shared one kiss with.

Emma took a deep breath trying to process all of it and figured it was probably best for her to get some fresh air and try to clear her head. But as she neared the ladder to the deck, a door on the wall near it opened, revealing Hook. He looked up at her from the doorway.

"Sorry, love," he said quietly so as not to disturb Henry. "I didn't realize you were in here."

Emma shrugged. "No problem. This is your room, after all," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Hook gave her a tight smile in return and she couldn't help but stand still, completely transfixed by him. Without a word, he walked past her to open a cupboard along a wall of the room and retrieved a grey woolen blanket. As he latched it shut, he caught her eye and nodded his head back towards the door, silently motioning for her to follow him. He led her to a tiny wood-paneled hallway with a few doors on each side and what looked like a kitchen area at the end.

"This way," he said, opening another door only a few feet away.

The room behind it was small — or at least much smaller than the captain's quarters. It had a built-in desk along one wall and a bunk folded up against the other with a latticed skylight similar to the one she remembered from the crew's quarters.

"This was Smee's room when he was my first mate," Hook explained before tucking the blanket under his arm and unlatching the bunk so it fell open.

He took the blanket and set it down on the bed, then sank down and pulled out his flask. It struck Emma that she hadn't seen him drink out of it since he saved David — and then kissed her. She could feel her cheeks begin to flush from the memory of it and tried desperately to calm herself by focusing on something else. So, she took a seat on the bed next to the pirate and focused on his fingers as he unscrewed the cap of his flask and offered it to her.

"I figured you might need something to take the edge off after today," he explained.

She gave him a smile and took him up on his offer, the rum burning her throat as it went down.

"Thank you," she said quietly, handing the flask back.

His fingers brushed against hers and she could feel the warmth linger on her skin after he gently pulled away. "There's plenty where that came from, now that I've been reunited with my stash," he said, a smirk on his face before taking a sip himself.

Emma stared down at her hands in her lap, her fingers still restless despite the calm ship. "You know, I haven't had a chance to thank you for all of this, especially for saving my son," she said. "So, thank you."

She realized as soon as she said the words that they were the same ones she spoke before Hook challenged her in the forest, before her passion won out over reason and she had kissed him. This time, however, Hook simply tucked the rum into one of the inner pockets of his coat.

"It was the right thing to do," he said.

Emma smiled. She never expected to hear those words from him, but then again, there were many things the past few weeks that she never expected from Captain Hook.

"I should probably let you get some sleep," she said.

"Wait," Hook said, gently grabbing her wrist before she could stand up. "Sleep here tonight. You need some rest before we get back."

Emma gave him a quizzical look. "What about you?"

"I'm the captain of this ship," he said. "I have to go captain her."

Emma opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly silenced by the pirate. "Stop being stubborn, Swan, and go to sleep," he commanded.

She simply nodded in thanks and watched as he stood to leave. Before he opened the door, however, he turned back to look at her.

"Do you remember asking me about my brother?"

Emma winced. She was so worried about her father that she had been quite tactless when asking Hook about the subject. It was one of the few things she regretted about this entire journey.

"I'm sorry I asked about him the way I did," she quickly explained. "I was just so caught up in everything, and—"

The pirate waved his hand to silence her. "I just … I ask because I hope what little you know of him isn't clouded by your impressions of me," he said earnestly. "My brother deserves to be remembered as a good man, Emma."

She looked at Hook standing there, his head down, his shoulders heavy, and she couldn't help but be impressed. Of all the things he could have said to her — good or bad — Emma didn't expect him to say something in defense of his brother.

She stood up slowly from the bunk and walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her. She could feel the hitch in his breath as she put her cheek up against the scruff of his beard. He snaked his hand around her waist and nestled his head into her shoulder. After all they had gone through on Neverland, this little moment between them felt even more intimate than the kiss they had shared just a week ago.

Emma ran her fingers along the back of Hook's neck, barely touching the sliver of skin above the big collar of his coat as she pulled him closer.

"You are a good man," she whispered in his ear.

Hook's grip on her tightened for a brief moment in acknowledgment of her words before he gently pulled back. With his hand still on her waist, she didn't move far before he leaned over and placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"Get some sleep, Swan. We have a busy day ahead."

He let go of her, turning around to open the door.

"Hook?"

His hand stilled on the door knob as he looked over his shoulder towards Emma.

"You'll need some sleep too," she said. "Come get me when your shift is over so you can rest."

The pirate nodded his head in agreement. "As you wish, m'lady."


End file.
